Watney’s Wait for PGA Glory Ends in New Orleans
Nick Watney’s two-year wait for his first PGA Tour title ended when he triumphed at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at Avondale.
Watney snared an eagle two on the 428-yard par-four fifth hole that not only steadied his nerves but also laid the foundations for a three-stroke victory and a first prize of $1,098,000, just three days short of his 26th birthday.
His score of 15-under-par 273 was three strokes better than second-placed Ken Duke, who closed with 70 for his 276 while Anthony Kim and John Mallinger were tied for third on 277. Bubba Watson scored a final-round 72 for 278 and fifth.
Soon after his victory, a jazz band struck up a tune as Watney was draped with beads in Mardi Gras style.
Basking in the glory, Watney could feel the weight of his prize money as he looked back at some difficult early years on the Nationawide Tour.
After failing to qualify for the PGA Tour through sponsor exemptions, Watney went back to basics at the Nationwide Tour, where he missed five of his first seven cuts.
He refused to give up, and after fine-tuning his game with more practice and learning to control his emotions, he made 17 of the last 18 cuts and scored a victory on the Nationwide Tour Championship.
He then finished 127th on the main tour’s money list in his rookie season, as he recalled on the PGA Tour website:
“I did okay but it also was a struggle. I didn’t press too much. I’m still figuring things out but I also haven’t lost any patience with my game or myself. I knew it takes time to get used to everything so I wasn’t worried. My aim was to be out here on the Tour for a long time.”
Jacquelin Hangs On For Asian Open Victory
Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin upstaged the big names to score a wire-to-wire victory at the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai on Sunday.
Battling wet conditions on the final day, Jacquelin closed with a one-over-par 73 for a four-round total of 10-under 278 and a two-stroke victory over Dane Soren Kjeldsen, who also fired 73 in his final round.
South African star Ernie Els, the 2005 Asian Open champion, finished four strokes off the winner after his final-round 72 gave him a total of 282, good enough for joint fifth with compatriot Richard Sterne, Korean Lee Sung and Austrian Markus Brier, last week’s China Open winner.
Jacquelin was the halfway leader at the China Open, also held in Shanghai, but ended up in sixth place. This time, he made sure he finished what he started at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club.
The Frenchman, who also won the 2005 Open de Madrid from start to finish, said on the Asian Tour website:
“When you are in a position to win it is always difficult to finish but to be a winner you have to finish. I am really happy. It is my second win so it is not a surprise any more.”
Tee times were brought forward on Sunday because of expected bad weather and Jacquelin made the most of good early conditions to streak into a four-shot lead on the outward nine. Late morning weather turned nasty but Jacquelin was able to hang on despite dropping four shots on the home stretch.
Australian Scott Hend, joint second last week at Shanghai Silport, had another good weekend, tying for third place with Scotland’s Simon Yates on 281. Two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen, of South Africa, and Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie both finished seven strokes off the lead with 285.
The tournament is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour.
Dining Out In The Home Of Golf!
I’m often asked what are the best places to wine and dine in St Andrews, especially by golfers visiting just for the weekend. Here are a few of my thoughts (prices correct as of April 2007)
The Rusacks Hotel – Their restaurant has fantastic views over the legendary 18th green of the Old Course. They offer 3 courses for £37.50 including coffee and home made petit fours.
Another beautiful location at the other old Cathedral end of St Andrews town is the Byre Theatre Restaurant. They do a two course dinner menu for £12.95 which is amazing value and a stunning building with great ambience in the evenings.
Also you could try The Dolls House in the heart of St Andrews (owned by Scottish TV star Carol Smilie and her husband). Two courses from their early evening menu (a starter and a main) plus a complimentary drink costs £12.95.
Lastly there is a restaurant which is new to St Andrews – I have been there on 2 occasions and had delicious very affordable food – it’s Zizzi, an Italian restaurant. If you haven’t been to St Andrews for a while this is where Papa Joes used to be – they still have restaurants in Dundee and Stirling.
I would recommend booking a restaurant for a Saturday night if you can, but don’t worry if you are unable to as there are plenty of bars with great views to while away an hour whilst you wait for a table at a restaurant in St Andrews.
Another top tip if you fancy a spectacular view of the famous Old Course but don’t want to spend a fortune on dinner is to go for pre-dinner drinks at the Road Hole Bar at The Old Course Hotel. Drinks (as with everything at The Old Course Hotel) will set you back a bit (approximately £6 for a glass of wine) but the fantastic views definitely make up for it (and they have piano music and free tasty nuts on offer too!).
2008 Update: On the 29th May 2008 I had a fantastic meal at Playfair’s Scottish Restaurant & Bar at the Ardgowan Hotel on Playfair Terrance, North Street. I started with he Scottish Platter of smoked Orkney salmon, haggis cakes and smoked Highland vension. For my main I had fresh haddock coated with breadcrumbs (definitely the freshest fish I have tasted in St Andrews!) and for dessert I had their delicious cranachan sundae (vanilla ice cream layered with whisky, honey, raspberries and toasted oatmal topped with fresh cream) – yummy!
It’s not often I rave about a restaurant and trust me I’m not on commission but if you want excellent fresh traditional Scottish food on your next visit to St Andrews I definitely recommend Playfairs. Isn’t it time to tasted cullen stink, haggis and clootie dumpling in one great meal!
Enjoy your stay and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to email me, my address is Andy at GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com
Can Justin Rose Top Nick Faldo’s Major Record?
For years, the golf world has been waiting for Justin Rose’s follow up to his thrilling debut at the 1998 British Open. The then 17 year old amateur made his splash with a solid 4th place finish – but more memorably, with a remarkable holed birdie pitch on the 72nd hole. “The shot” wasn’t enough to catch eventual champion Mark O’meara, but it was however, enough to make him the top story of an eventful tournament. Would he be England’s next great champion was a question asked many times that week.
Justin Rose turned pro the day after the British Open in 1998, at just 17 years old. Some said he was too young. He needed more experience before he could withstand the rigors of life on the tour, said others. Still, many golf fans welcomed his decision, as they saw him as Britain’s next great chance for a Major title. The next Nick Faldo if you will.
The first few years proved difficult, with a string of missed cuts after missed cuts. And with each failure came a loss of a little more confidence. That same confidence that impressed so many at Royal Birkdale. But true to the player most thought he could be – he rebounded. He worked hard and overcame the death of his father and part-time coach in 2002. His game was solid enough to win 4 times in 2002 – on 3 different continents. He looked ready to deliver on the huge potential he showed at Birkdale.
However, the next few years, his game showed many of the same inconsistencies of the late 90’s. He would have a good week here or a good week there – but then miss a number of cuts in a row. At times, he showed flashes of brilliance, such as leading the 2004 U.S. Masters after 36 holes, but then followed it up with a 3rd round 81. As good as his game appeared at times, he often looked to be searching for his place on tour. Was he really going to be one of the best – or would he end up being a journeyman pro?
Now, in 2007, Justin Rose looks comfortable – finally. He again had the lead at the U.S. Masters, but this time he did not go away with high scores on the weekend. Instead, he stayed in the fight – twice battling back from tough starts on the weekend and finished with another top 5 in a Major. It’s funny – in his first major – he finished 4th. And now, in his last major – he finished 5th. And all the tournaments and tough lessons between the two don’t seem to matter as much as they once did. He is again on the tip of golf fan’s tongues. Could he be the next Nick Faldo? His coach, Nick Bradley, seems to think so. In fact, he thinks Justin can top Nick’s impressive record of 6 Major Championships. What do you think – can Justin overtake Nick in major wins?
Asian Tour Chief Unhappy with Appearance Fees for Star Players
The Asian Tour and European Tour enjoy a courteous relationship with an underlying dose of tension. These negative vibes have intensified over the past few days after Asian Tour supreme Kyi Hla Han hit out at the payment of appearance fees to big-name golfers.
Players such as South Africans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, Colin Montgomerie, Paul Casey and John Daly are believed to be paid up to US$250,000 each to play at this week’s BMW Asian Open in Shanghai. According to Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post newspaper, Han is not happy with the situation, and was quoted as saying:
“It is not something we like to see here in Asia, but I guess it is a sponsor’s decision. I did not agree with the practice when I was a player and I don’t agree with it now. It effectively takes money out of my members’ pockets and we would much rather see all the players’ budget going into the prize fund where everyone has the opportunity to earn in direct proportion to performance.”
There are several tournaments sanctioned by both tours taking place on Asian shores. It gives Asian golfers a chance to win big tournaments and earn playing rights on the European Tour. It also provides fans in Asia the chance to see some of the top European players in action. Needless to say, it also offers European players the chance of a big pay-day, whether they win or not.
The newspaper quoted European Tour chief executive George O’Grady as defending the practice, saying:
“It really is not an issue. We have our guidelines for extra-curricular activities and this falls within them. In theory, no more than 25 per cent of the prize fund should be paid towards extra-curricular activities, which is what these guys are doing this week in Shanghai.”
At least the marquee golfers were doing their best to earn their money the hard way, with Montgomerie, Els and Goosen putting themselves in good positions after the first round at the Tomson Pudong Shanghai Golf Club.
Montgomerie carded a three-under-par 69, three strokes behind first-round leader, Raphael Jacquelin, of France. Els and Goosen were not far behind with both players going one-under 71. Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen was second on 67 followed by a trio on 68 of Australian Gavin Flint, France’s Gregory Havret and South Korean Lee Sung.
Monty Looking for Shot That Got Away in Shanghai
Colin Montgomerie is returning to the BMW Asian Open this week looking for the single stroke that denied him victory at last year’s event.
Monty will be joining a number of big names – among them South Africans Ernie Els and Masters joint runner-up Reteif Goosen, American John Daly and England’s Paul Casey – as the European Tour stays in Shanghai, China for the second straight week following the Volvo China Open.
The Scot finished third last year, one stroke behind Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who won the tournament in a play-off against Henrik Stenson. Montgomerie, who believes the par-72, 7,326-yard Tomson course suits his game, was quoted on the Asian Tour website as saying:
“You can think of one shot you can save every three holes, let alone over 72 holes so that is one of the reasons I have come back here, to try and do better.â€
Fernandez-Castano, meanwhile, has fond memories of his victory at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club, having used the occasion to tell the world that he had proposed to then girlfriend Alicia. After marrying in November, the couple returned to Shanghai for their honeymoon as the groom played in the HSBC Champions tournament. The Spaniard said:
“I have great memories. Walking the back nine this morning, I could remember every shot that I hit during the final round. Shanghai is a special town for me and I wanted Alicia to come here this week as it’s not very often you’re at a tournament as the defending champion.â€
Els is coming off a strong runner-up finish at the Verizon Heritage tournament at Hilton Head Island.
Weekley Celebrates Victory Over Els
Boo Weekley appeared to be doing his best to help Ernie Els end his three-year drought on the PGA Tour. That was until a 36-foot putt on the 18th gave him victory at the Verizon Heritage, which spilled over to Monday because of bad weather.
Weekley chipped in over the last two holes at Harbour Town for a final round of three-under-par 68 and victory over South African Els. His 72-hold total of 14-under 270 was one stroke better than Els, who shot 70 in the final round, and two ahead of Australian Stephen Leaney, who closed with 68.
The American took a three-shot lead into the 16th but bogeyed that hole before getting stuck behind the 17th green. He saved par with a 40-foot chip to maintain his slender lead and then chipped again from the rough on the 18th to keep Els at bay.
His victory made up for his failure to win the Honda Classic one month ago – a tournament that also carried over to the Monday to accommodate a four-man play-off. Weekley missed a three-foot putt on the final hole that would have given him an outright victory. However, what he couldn’t do from three feet a month ago, he managed with aplomb from 36 feet as the 36-year-old picked up US$972,000 and a Tour exemption for 2008.
For Els, it was an encouraging performance as he tries to rediscover his Major-winning form in his pursuit of Tiger Woods and the world number one ranking.
Els has given himself three years to unseat Woods in the Official World Rankings. Els is currently ranked fifth in the world while Weekley, who returned to the PGA Tour after a stint in the Nationwide Tour, jumped 60 places to 55th after his victory on Monday.
Lincicome Fast Becoming Top Young American
A young American girl stared down Lorena Ochoa and Laura Davies at the LPGA’s Ginn Open today – and her name was Brittany Lincicome. It was a world class performance against a world class field.
Still, when people talk about all the young American talent on the LPGA Tour, we rarely hear the name Brittany Lincicome. Instead, we hear the names Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel and Natalie Gulbis. Nothing against those girls, as they are incredible players in their own right – but there’s one other name that needs to be added to the mix – Brittany Lincicome. And from what I know about Brittany, this win is not a fluke and we can expect to see more of the same.
I first met Brittany 5 years ago while she was playing in and winning our junior golf invitational. We were hosting a junior golf event entitled “Kids Playing for Kids”, with all proceeds going to a children’s charity – Chairscholars – and she was clearly the class of the field. A few things struck me on that initial meeting with Brittany. First, she was unbelievably talented. She could hit the ball an absolute mile and was fearless in how she attacked the golf course. Second, she was calm. She wasn’t at all excited when she played or even when she won. She acted like it was a completely normal thing for her to do. And when I watched her play today at the Ginn Open, she was the same exact way — calm. Nothing has changed at all. She couldn’t be less surprised by her success. I was at Reunion Resort, (just outside of Orlando, Florida) home of the Ginn Open, all week and had a chance to see most of the best young Americans – Pressel, Creamer and Gulbis – and without a doubt, Lincicome was the most impressive.
I believe Lincicome’s rise will continue for the forseeable future for a couple reasons. First, she is completely single minded on golf. From the first time I met her, she has only talked about playing and winning on the LPGA Tour. Back for a moment to that junior tournament. During the awards, as the other juniors were talking about their college and life plans – Brittany was only talking about playing golf. Although she had a slew of college scholarships, she wasn’t interested. She wasn’t interested because she already knew what she wanted to do – play the LPGA Tour. For some juniors, that kind of thinking can be a detriment in their development. But for Brittany, it was exactly the kind of focus she needed. And that focus continues today. With Natalie Gulbis busy with reality shows and calanders – and Paula Creamer busy with commercials and fashion design – Brittany’s sole focus is still just golf.
Next, she already plays the game of the future on the LPGA. She kills it off the tee and isn’t afraid to make birdies and eagles. And for a young pro to compete in the new world of women’s golf – this is a must! So, as the LPGA enters their “Golden Age” – there is a new girl that must be added to the story line – Miss Brittany Lincicome.
Austrian Brier Strolls to Victory in Shanghai
Austrian sport came down from the white ski slopes of Europe to triumph on the green manicured fairways of Shanghai as Markus Brier coasted to victory at the Volvo China Open on Sunday.
Brier fired a final round of four-under-par 67 for a 10-under total of 274 and a five-stroke victory at the Shanghai Silport Golf Club. In his triumph, he became the first Austrian to win a co-sanctioned Asian Tour and European Tour event.
Australian Scott Hend was even par 71 on the final day to share second place with Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, who shot 69, and South African Andrew McLardy, who closed with 70, on 279.
Brier’s previous European Tour victory was at the BA-CA Golf Open last year at his home Fontana Golf Club course in Vienna.
The 38-year-old, who won US$333,330, said on the Asian Tour website:
“I dreamt about winning yesterday and thought it would be good. Volvo China Open is a great tournament to win. I have been to China quite a few times and I have always played well. It makes me feel like a better player now as at home I always had the home advantage. It is a very good win here and it was the next step to win abroad.â€
Overnight showers softened the greens at Shanghai, helping Brier to birdies on the second and third holes before he dropped a shot on the fourth. He solidified his lead with birdies on the eighth and ninth and finished off with a flourish, holing a five-foot birdie on the 18th.
Els Refuses to Give Up in His Pursuit of Tiger
Ernie Els said before the US Masters that he wanted to make a grand comeback and take a shot at Tiger Woods’ number one spot in the Official World Rankings.
To help him in his three-year plan, he signed a new equipment deal with Callaway six weeks before the Masters, ending his stint with Titleist.
Though it didn’t help him much at Augusta National last week, when he missed the cut, he turned in a great first round at the Verizon Heritage at Hilton Head Island.
The South African star shot a first round of six-under-par 65 to trail Jerry Kelly by two strokes after the opening round, and is looking good again.
Changing equipment is a major move in golf, a bit like a Formula One driver changing teams. The 37-year-old Els, though, is determined to make things right after his Masters failure.
He says on his website:
“It’s hard for me to put any kind of positive spin on things when you’ve just missed your first cut in a major championship for the best part of seven years. To be honest, though, it makes me even more determined to get my game back to where it was four or five years ago, when I was winning all the time. I have to keep working even harder. That’s the simple truth of it.â€
The three-time Major champion’s last win was at the South Africa Airways Open.
While he is at Hilton Head this week, Els may just bump into Indian Jeev Milkha Singh, who is causing a bit of a stir half way around the world in Shanghai.
Singh’s absence from this week’s Volvo China Open at the Shanghai Silport Golf Club is not making him very popular with tournament organisers, who feel he has let them down.
After all, it was his victory at last year’s event that launched a great run during which he won three more tournaments, including the Volvo Masters in Spain.
Jeev decided against returning to Asia to defend his title after making the cut in his debut at the Masters. Organisers felt he owed them at least his presence with the tournament providing the platform for him to revive his career.
The China event is jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour and provides golfers like Singh and other Asian hopefuls the chance to earn full playing rights in Europe if they can win the tournament.
Indeed, a little-known Chinese golfer has his chance for glory after taking a share of the first-round lead with Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin in Shanghai.
His name is Huang Mingjie and both he and Jacquelin shot three-under-par 68s for a one-stroke lead over American Gary Rusnak.
Huang, playing his third China Open, was quoted on the Asian Tour official site as saying:
“It is my first time leading a tournament. I shall keep my pace and hope to play it safe.â€
Huang is hoping to follow his compatriot Liang Wen-chong as a European Tour champion. Liang won the recent Singapore Masters to become the second Chinese golfer, after Zhang Lian-wei, to win on the European Tour.
Europe’s Major Hopes Need to Buck Up Ideas
Another major. Another misfire. The high hopes of Henrik Stenson et al squashed. The European drought continued in Augusta. A drought that increasingly looks like a famine.
We’ve been here before. There were 18 long years between Max Faulkner clinching the British Open and Tony Jacklin replicating the feat. Another nine years passed from Jacklin’s US Open victory and Seve Ballesteros winning the British version.Â
Perhaps I am slightly spoilt. Seve’s 1979 victory at Royal Lytham began a purple patch for those of us in Europe. Seve, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sandy Lyle became multiple major winners. Ian Woosnam and Paul Lawrie chipped in with famous single victories.
In 1999 Olazabal’s Masters victory was complimented by Paul Lawrie winning the Open. But after the cheers of that year came the silence of the new millennium.Â
The difference between this losing streak and those of the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s is that we should be winning majors now. We can win the Ryder Cup. We have more players than ever acquitting themselves on the US tour. We have nine players in the world’s top 30.
And since 1999 Rich Beem, Ben Curtis and Zach Johnson himself have all come from relative obscurity to win majors. No unknown European has made that leap into immortality.Â
Of the big guns Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington should have won by now. Others, like Darren Clarke, may now rue missing out when they had the game to conquer one of the majors. Colin Montgomerie is the master of the near miss – but surely the clock is rapidly counting down on Monty’s chances.
So what’s the problem? It can’t be preparation – exposure to the US Tour has brought a new level of professionalism in Europe. Seve, Faldo, Woosnam, Lyle, Langer and Olazabal have proved we can win in America. The Ryder Cup shows we have players with big games for big occasions.Â
And as Beem, Curtis and myriad others have proved Tiger doesn’t win every major.Â
It strikes me, despite the countless theories, as an almost unsolvable mystery. My only answer is that the European players buck up their ideas and realise that the Ryder Cup only comes with a limited amount of bragging rights.
It’s time for the Europeans to shape up. I want one of the majors back and I want it as soon as possible. Guys, it’s over to you!
Viva Seve – Spanish Legend Turns 50
The European Tour this week pays tribute to Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros, who turned 50 years old on April 9.
It has been a long time since Ballesteros triumphed in a Major tournament, but the memories of his swashbuckling style of play, at an era when Tiger Woods was unheard of, will live long in the hearts of golf fans the world over.
As a half-centurion, Ballesteros is now eligible to play on the Seniors Tour after 30 years among golf’s elite. Despite his fading abilities, he was still among the most popular attractions at last week’s US Masters.
The Houdini of golf, Ballesteros relished the challenge of escaping from difficult lies. And for those watching, it was pure escapism indeed.
Among his most memorable shots was the famous three-wood from the bunker during the 1983 Ryder Cup in Florida, where he cleared 247 yards to make the green and halve a match. Four years earlier, he played out of a parking lot on his way to winning the 1979 British Open.
He was also an inspirational Ryder Cup captain for the Europeans 10 years ago when they defeated the Americans and continues to be a fine ambassador for the sport.
Ballesteros has five Major titles – three Open Championships (1979, 1984 and 1988) and two US Masters triumphs (1980 and 1983). In addition, he has won 87 international tournaments, including 50 on the European Tour. He still holds the European record of having won at least one tournament every season for 17 straight years between 1976 and 1992.
Two Fundamentals for Solid Putting
Ben Hogan loved to play his practice rounds without putting. He would give himself points for fairways and greens and then, pick up his ball and go to the next tee. Mr. Hogan’s reasoning was – any novice could make a six foot putt, but it took a great player to consistently hit quality iron shots into birdie range. He believed there was way too much emphasis placed on putting, and never respected golf professionals who made their living by holing putts from everywhere. In fact, he once told Billy Casper, that if he couldn’t putt, he’d be selling hot dogs for a living. I’m sure it was after one of Casper’s legendary putting days where he may have nipped Hogan by a stroke or two. Putting is truly the great equalizer.
This should give hope to everyone out there aspiring to be a great golfer. Putting is the one part of the game that every golfer can do extremely well. It takes no superior athletic ability to make a ten foot putt or lag a forty foot snake to tap-in distance. Even with your golf swing performing at its peak,
you may not possess the ability to hit a 235 yard two iron or boom a drive 320 yards over a dogleg, but everyone possesses the ability to be a great putter. If you can’t reach a par five in two – it shouldn’t matter. A nice wedge shot and a solid putt is all you need to ensure a birdie. Let the putter
be your equalizer.
Here are two simple fundamentals, plus one easy practice routine, that will put you on the road to great putting. And of course, with great putting, comes lower scores.
Fundamental #1
Clap your hands for a solid grip. Without a putter, assume your normal putting stance and let your arms hang freely from your shoulders. Then, simply clap your hands together for a perfect grip. Notice – when your hands are together in a clapping motion – a couple key things happen naturally. First, the back of your left hand faces the target. Second, the palm of your right hand faces the target. Now, once you hold a putter – it doesn’t matter what you do with your hands – as long as they keep facing the same way. You can go cross-handed, split grip or normal. If you do this – at address, you will have the back of your left hand, palm of your right hand and putter face aimed at the target. This will ensure proper face position at impact as well – one important fundamental to great putting.
Fundamental # 2
Eyes over or slightly inside the ball (target line). With your eyes over the ball and the correct grip – your putter will be more apt to swing on the proper path. Assuming your grip is correct, if your eyes get too far over the ball, your putter will tend to cut across the ball and you will hit pulls. Conversely, if your eyes get too far inside the ball, your putter will tend to swing on an inside track and you will hit pushes. So, by getting your eyes directly over the ball, your putter will want to swing straight back and through to your target. However, if you are to err – err with your eyes inside the ball slightly. This is much better than setting up with your eyes outside the ball.
These two set-up fundamentals will give you the best chance to swing your putter on line with a square face. What to do with the rest of your stance? Just get comfortable.
Simple Practice Drill
One of the best and most efficient practice drills is to hit 5-foot putts on a line. Go to your local hardware store and pick up a “chalk line.†They are inexpensive and extremely effective. Use your chalk line to make a straight line from the hole on your practice green. And from there, just hit putts. Set up comfortably with the first two fundamentals and simply make putts from 5 feet right down the line. In no time, you will make almost every putt and learn everything you need to know about line and stroke. By starting the ball down this chalk line every time, you will quickly understand how the putter is supposed to swing and feel. Plus, you’ll gain a tremendous amount of confidence by watching ball after ball go in the hole.
So in review – clap your hands for a perfect grip, set your eyes over the ball and practice down a chalk line. I promise if you do these three things – you will make more putts. Good Luck!
Old Course Lands New Greenkeeper
Do greenkeepers dream of anything other than divots and bad weather? If they do then Gordon Mckie is surely living the greenkeeper’s equivalent of winning the Masters and the Open on the same day.
Because Gordon has just been appointed head greenkeeper at the Old Course in St. Andrews – giving him control of the most revered and most talked about golf course in the world.
Much of a job? Well, apart from the hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, the challenge of St. Andrews’ public access rules and the gauntlet of Fife’s coastal weather, Gordon will also be responsible for more British Opens than any other greenkeeper and the 2007 British Woman’s Open.
I was lucky enough to enjoy a guided tour of Muirfield with the head greenkeeper once. Until you have travelled a links course with the man in charge you can have little appreciation of the care and attention that greenkeeper’s lavish on their ‘babies.’ As it does for players, so links golf provides a unique challenge for greenkeepers.
And you can probably multiply that challenge a thousand fold for the man in charge of the Old Course. As Gordon remarked:
“It is a privilege to work on the most famous course in the world. The history and tradition surrounding the Old Course makes it unique and it is continually under the glare of the international media spotlight. I am very much looking forward to maintaining the exceptionally high standard of the course and ensuring it continues to set the benchmark for links courses around the world.”
So good luck to Gordon – he’s got quite a job ahead of him. He may never have the fame or riches of Sandy Lyle or Colin Montgomerie. But he and his predecessors, perhaps more than anyone else, are charged with protecting the history and safeguarding the future of Scottish golf.
Moody Augusta Makes for Muted Masters
The 2007 US Masters will be remembered not only for Zach Johnson’s surprise victory but also for an Augusta course that was unusually bitter and twisted towards its supposed subjugators, particularly during the first three rounds.
Normally Fine weather was replaced by wintry conditions and biting winds that added to the challenge of the extra 440 yards added in 2005 to combat big hitters.
The fact that not a single player finished under par for the tournament is testament to Augusta’s mood during the 71st Masters, and Johnson’s one-over 289 was the highest winning score ever.
Tiger Woods, who scored 18-under-par during his triumphant first pro visit to Augusta in 1997, was this year tamed by the hostile course.
He was quoted by Reuters as saying:
“Aggressive? On this golf course? Not in these conditions. No. You just go ahead and plod along and try to put the ball in the right spot if you can; and if you can’t, somehow just don’t have any wrecks out there.â€
The keepers of the course defended the changes made to Augusta over the years, with chairman Billy Payne saying they would continue to make it as difficult as it needs to be to counteract equipment technology and player improvements.
However, one of the highlights of the Masters tournament is its ability to generate excitement on the final day. This was a stark contrast to Sunday when no one was able to make a decent charge and spectators were ho-humming.
As 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir said:
“I think this tournament is about excitement, the roars of the crowd. Fuzzy Zoeller said it well when he said it sounds like a morgue out here. You don’t hear any roars. All you hear is a little clapping for par putts.â€
